The Reader
by Wyrmie07
Summary: After moving to a new city, shy, bookworm Bella learns there is more to her than meets the eye. Can her life long friends and some new ones help her control it? AU, AH, E/B
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. Many thanks to ButterflyBetty and TheOnlyKyla for helping me realize I could and should start writing.**

**Thank you to Rachel (masonjar) for prereading and Immortal for being an amazing beta.**

**All mistakes are mine.**

**I am not Stephanie Myers, I am writing for fun and not being paid. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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><p>I never meant for this to happen. All I wanted was to have a normal life.<p>

For a while now odd things have been happening around me, furniture floating odd. I have lived my life in my books since I was eleven. I noticed that when I am in real situations with real people is when the odd things happened and sometimes they were dangerous. I never understood why… until I met him.

My name is Bella Swan and this is my story.

"Bella, will you come down here please?"

When you're a sixteen-year-old girl this is the last phrase you want to hear. Usually it means something unpleasant is about to happen. In my case, it meant I was going to be scolded for the money I spent on books that month. Or be grilled about why I didn't spend more time with my peers. Knowing how this conversation typically went I started mumbling under my breath and shaking my head while taking my time to mark my page. I saw no reason to have this talk any sooner. As always, they were in the living room, in their typical positions, my father standing while my mother was on the couch.

"Look," I began. "I can explain those extra charges at Borders this month. Eve Dallas had a new release that I forgot about and…"

"Bella, that's not why we called you down here, I was just given new orders; we have to move in two weeks."

My father, Charlie Swan was a career US Marine; he enlisted when he was 18 and according to him never looked back. I was born just outside El Toro Marine base and have spent my life moving ever since, which would make you think I was used to moving at a moment's notice. That was not the case; I didn't have many friends to leave behind that made it worse. It just seemed like we always moved just as I was getting into the swing of things.

"Where are we going this time? Please don't say DC, the last time we were in DC we never saw you." I fully admit to being a daddy's girl, so sue me.

"You and your father are moving to Jacksonville Bella," my mother said. I was so taken aback by how hostile she sounded, that it took me a full two minutes to realize she said my father and me.

"Wait, just me and daddy- why aren't you coming?" My mother and I have always had a difficult relationship. She has always been one of those people that if it doesn't benefit her, she doesn't give a flying fart what happens. I have tried to have a more hands on relationship with her but she just always looked at me like I was a pebble stuck in her shoe.

"Bella, your mother and I are… you may have noticed the tension lately. We had hoped to have more time to prepare you… things have developed…we're getting a divorce." Charlie explained.

_WHAT? Calm down Bella. You need to breathe; you know what happens when you get upset. That cannot happen again; you almost got hurt. Just concentrate and go over what he just said. My parents are getting a divorce. __**My parents are getting a divorce.**__ Just take deep breaths; deep breath in, deep breath out._

"Why would you tell me this now? You could have told me when things started to go downhill. At least that way I would have been prepared. This is just… I have no words. I can't handle this right now." Even with my attempts to stay calm I could tell I had to get out of there quickly.

"The good news is, the Whitlocks have been given the same orders." Charlie didn't realize this but he was giving me the out I needed.

"May I go see them? I think they can distract me from this bombshell."

"I don't…" my mother started.

"Renee, shut up." Charlie interrupted. "Yes, you can go to the Whitlocks. Please be home by 10pm, if you would like to stay the night call me before 930."

With that said I went upstairs to grab my stuff, I never leave home without my books, phone, or purse The way I left that house you would have thought the devil was chasing me. I sent Jasper a text to let him know I was on my way, and spent the five-minute walk thinking about everything that had just happened.

While it's true that my parents have always had their issues, I never saw this coming. The real tension seemed to stem from Charlie's job and the fact he had to leave at a moments notice; sometimes he would be gone for months with little to no contact. Renee knew this from the beginning and they were happily married. So why after almost eighteen years is it suddenly an issue? I do know that I can ask all I want and will not get a straight answer from her.

I just hope this doesn't distract him if he gets deployed any time soon.

I was so caught up in my thoughts I didn't realize I was at Jasper's; before I could even raise my hand to knock; I was being spun around. Jasper and Rose were the only people I've ever let myself get close to. Jasper or Spalding, as I tend to call him [ever since he came home from the basketball courts with Spalding imprinted on his forehead]. If I didn't see him as my brother I would be force to say he was a handsome man; ice blue eyes, dirty blonde hair, and a wiry build. And he towers over me. Then again, everyone does.

Then there's Rose. If she wasn't female she would be Jasper's identical twin. All the guys want her and all the girls want to be her. She has a body that would make Barbie insecure.

Between the two of them, I couldn't be more average [brown hair, brown eyes – average].

When Jasper finally put me down I was feeling a tad bit dizzy and had to brace myself against the doorframe while Rose laughed at me.

"Spalding, what have I told you about spinning me like that? I swear one of these days I am going to puke all over you, and you'll have no one to blame but yourself." I struggled to keep a straight face, laughing would only make it worse. It will happen one day and he will finally believe me.

"Well Wyrmie," This was his special way of calling me a bookworm. "I can't help it that I'm excited we are moving together; even if it is Jacksonville." Jasper said with just a bit of distaste.

"Well, at least in the new city Bella will have more book stores to hide in. I for one am looking forward to the change in scenery. It has been too long between new duty stations." Leave it to Rose to find the silver lining. "Maybe, we'll even be able to go to school off base." Ever since middle school Rose has wanted to go to a regular public school. She seems to think that the kids there are more stable since they aren't constantly moving.

The three of us met in second grade; as usual we were the new kids in school so we formed our little circle. In third grade my dad got a transfer and I had to spend a year away from them while I was in Japan. We lost touch because of that move. Then we moved back stateside and to my delight the trio was back together.

It was during this duty station, in Washington DC that things got weird for me. Lights were flickering, books went flying, and once my bed floated to the ceiling while I was sleeping. I wasn't sure what the cause for it was, but I knew that my emotions were tied to it somehow.

When all of this started happening Jasper and Rose were the only people I felt I could tell without being ridiculed. They were doubtful at first which set me off. After their 'hands on' demonstration they did everything they could to protect me. Then when we were twelve we were separated. That is when I realized that if I read I could escape this world, if I wasn't here then I didn't get emotional, if I kept my emotions in check then the people around me were safe. A year ago we moved to Camp LeJune in North Carolina and I was once again reunited with the Whitlocks. During our reunion is when they told me that while we had been separated they noticed the same things happening to them that had been happening to me. We still don't understand it, I just want it to go away, but we're coping.

The next two weeks were hectic with packing and making sure everything was set for the school transfers. We still didn't know where we were going to school but it was always best to have your files ready when doing one of these damned duty station transfers. The morning of the flight to Jacksonville was not as crazy as I thought it would be. We got a flight on a Navy plane and before we knew it we were landing at NAS Jax.

The start of my journey to the truth had just begun.


	2. Chapter 2

**This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. Many thanks to ButterflyBetty and TheOnlyKyla for helping me realize I could and should start writing.**

**Thank you to Masenjar for prereading and EvilPumpkin for being an amazing beta.**

**All mistakes are mine.**

**I am not Stephanie Myers, I am writing for fun and not being paid. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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><p>The timing of the move, during winter break, was fortunate for me as a student. I had just over a week to get myself settled and help Charlie. We had come to an agreement of sorts that we wouldn't mention my mother unless absolutely necessary. I was fine with that and it even helped me stay calm, which was always important for me. Rose was granted her wish; we were to be enrolled in a public school. If I was honest with myself, I was also excited to be off base for a good portion of the day. I don't like attention and when your father is a Gunnery Sergeant and one of the best in his field it is hard to go anywhere unnoticed.<p>

On our third day in Jacksonville I managed to convince Charlie to let me go off base to a large bookstore in a local mall. Of course being the over protective father he was, I had to take Jasper or Rose with me. Considering my knack for injuring myself I didn't fight him on it. It did take some time to convince Jasper to join me; Rose invited herself so she could; as she put it, "See if the shopping is worth my time." I could instantly tell that I would hate the fifteen minute drive to my place of solace. The drivers were all so angry and in such a rush that Jasper had to help me control my breathing before something nearby exploded. We got into the mall without any issues and went about getting our bearings.

We had just located the bookstore when it happened. Rose was arranging to meet us in the café later since she had seen one of her favorite stores nearby. Before she could walk off, there was some guy, a typical mall rat who bumped into Jasper who accidently knocked me down. The mall rat didn't stop to check on us or anything and that was what set me off. Suddenly the lights started flickering and a wind was blowing. I saw red. I slowly stood up and as I raised my hand up to brush the hair off my face, the mall rat went flying face first into the bookcase he was looking at. I was mortified, because he could have been hurt and I could have damaged the books. Rose instantly started coaching my breathing while Jasper went to help pick up the books. After a few minutes things had returned to normal and I was able to actually enter the bookstore while Rose went off to feed her clothing addiction. While I was browsing the books I kept getting this feeling that I was being watched and kept looking around me. I was starting to freak out and was about to ask Jasper if he was ready to leave when I saw _him_. It was just out of the corner of my eye and when I turned around to get a better look he was gone. All I had been able to make out was red messy hair and a black shirt. With everything that had happened already I couldn't handle being watched.

"Spa-" I started but stopped to clear my throat when I realized how scratchy my voice was. "Spalding, are you ready to go? I want to get home and start making dinner soon."

"Sure thing just let me find out where Rose is. Are you ok? You sound a little out of it?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I'm just still shaken up from whatever that was earlier. Can we just not talk about it please?" I was very proud of how normal I sounded in my response but he just looked at me like he knew there was something else bothering me. Luckily, Rose arrived just then so he was forced to drop it. I got the feeling he would be bringing it up again soon.

Three nights later we were all hanging out at my house. School started the next day and we were trying to figure out what a real public school would be like. Jasper chose this moment to bring up the mall incident again.

"Wyrmie, why were you so jittery right before we left the mall the other day?"

"Wait, what? What the hell happened Bella? I thought you were fine when I left." Rose was not happy that we had somehow kept this from her.

"It was nothing really. I just kept getting this feeling that I was being watched. I honestly think it is just all those 'lessons' on constant vigilance Charlie has been giving me. He's turning his daughter into the paranoid daughter of a Marine." I honestly believed this was what happened, or had convinced myself of that by now.

"Why is Charlie putting you through this again?" Rose asked with genuine concern. The last time I was forced to go through these lessons she and I had been attacked.

"I think it has to do with the new move, Renee not coming, and wanting to help me stay on a more even keel emotionally. It isn't a bad thing; I just hope it doesn't affect school. We're already going to be given all sorts of hell for transferring in halfway through our junior year; I don't want to be the paranoid girl on her first day."

"Well either way, if you feel you are being watched you need to tell us. We can't help or protect each other if we don't know we need to." Jasper had always been serious about protecting us and it has just magnified since the attack last year. "Now, as Wyrmie here has already said we have a big day tomorrow so I say we get some sleep." After a couple of quick hugs and muttered goodnights they departed and I was left alone to get myself under control.


	3. Chapter 3

**This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. Many thanks to ButterflyBetty and TheOnlyKyla for helping me realize I could and should start writing.**

**Thank you to Masenjar for prereading and EvilPumpkin for being an amazing beta.**

**All mistakes are mine.**

**I am not Stephanie Myers, I am writing for fun and not being paid. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**The number of people who have added me to their alerts and favorites is amazing. Thank you so much for reading.**

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><p>When I woke up the next morning I was full of jitters. I just couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen- I wasn't sure if it would be good or bad, I just knew something was coming. I forced myself out of bed and into the bathroom for my morning routine. It was 6:15 by the time I made it downstairs, meaning I had forty-five minutes to eat breakfast before Jasper and Rose swung by to pick me up. I could already tell that starting school at 7:15 was not going to agree with me, since in North Carolina we didn't start until 8:15. We had hoped to compare our schedules before class but Rose couldn't decide what to wear so we were running late and didn't get the chance. Just walking to my locker I was in culture shock. I had been used to the schools on base where the kids took pride in their clothes, which was so not the case here. I had gotten used to my classmates wearing jeans that actually fit and shirts that were not holey and such. I was wearing a pair of jeans with a layered sweater and sure that I stuck out like a sore thumb. It took me a few minutes to find my first class of the day, but when I did I sat in the back hoping not to draw attention to myself. Apparently in an AP Chemistry class it was hard to go unnoticed since the kids have had all the same classmates since the beginning of their high school lives. I had been sitting and going over the text for about five minutes when I was approached by someone. The person who had come up to me, was tiny, possibly shorter than I am, had short black hair, and was bouncing on her toes.<p>

"Hi, my name is Alice." I was startled by the fact that someone was talking to me and took a few moments to calm down. I looked around for the teacher wondering why she was talking to me. Shouldn't they have been here by now?

"Hello Alice, I'm Bella." I had hoped that once she had my name she would go away but I was not that lucky.

"Oh, you're one of the new kids my mom told me about. You've met her; she's the guidance counselor, Esme Cullen. So how do you like Ed White?" Does this girl ever stop to breathe?

"Well, since I have only been here for about fifteen minutes I will have to get back to you on my opinion of the school. Yes, I've met Ms. Cullen; she's nice." I remembered meeting Ms Cullen a few days prior when I was signing up for my classes. She was very much like I always imagined a true guidance counselor would be, warm, welcoming, and truly wanting to help you do the best you could in your academics. Looking at Alice I couldn't find any resemblance to her mom.

"I should've realized you hadn't been here long before asking that question. My brothers always say I need to think before I speak. What lunch do you have?" At this point Alice was sitting in one of the computer desk chairs that were next to me. I still had trouble keeping up with her mile a minute speech.

"What do you mean what lunch? Doesn't everyone go to lunch at the same time?" I was genuinely confused since I had never heard of different lunch schedules. You'd think that was something a guidance counselor would remember to tell you.

"Well, there are three lunch sessions since the school is so big. 'A' lunch is first lunch and means that you have lunch before your third period, 'B' lunch is second and your third period is split in half, while 'C' lunch is last obviously and at the end of your third period. It should say on your schedule which one you have."

After hearing this explanation all I could think was that the public school system was seriously deranged. How was a girl supposed to keep her lunch schedule straight? I pulled my schedule out of my bag and found that I had C lunch; I hoped that would make my day easier.

"I have 'C' lunch, how do they announce the lunches? Are there bells going off all the time?" I hoped this wasn't the case; I wouldn't be able to concentrate with the constant ringing in my ears.

"Yes, they use the bells. Also your teacher will remind you when you are supposed to have lunch if you don't have 'A' lunch. We have the same lunch; you should sit with me. I'm not sure if my brothers will be joining but at least you won't be sitting alone."

While I thought the invite was sweet I just wasn't sure if I wanted to eat lunch with a stranger just yet.

"Are we allowed to eat in the library? I used to do that all the time in my old school."

"No, my brother keeps trying to get permission from the librarian but keeps getting shot down. It's pretty funny actually."

"Oh, okay then. It would be nice to sit with someone." I wasn't overly happy about this but if I couldn't eat in the library sitting with the devil you know is better than the devil you don't. Seeming to be happy that I would be joining her, Alice went to her seat when the teacher arrived. That was when I noticed that by some miracle I had met someone shorter than I was!

My morning seemed to fly by and drag on at the same time. I think my American History teacher thought I was crazy but my English Lit teacher seemed to know what she was talking about and I was convinced this would be my favorite class right next to chemistry. I was not used to sitting in the same class room for ninety minutes straight, so when the bell for my lunch went off I was all too happy to leave. I hadn't seen Rose or Jasper all day and hoped we had the same lunch. I stopped by my locker and got the books I would need for my fourth period pre-calc class and headed to the cafeteria. I was surprised at the smile that formed when I saw Alice waiting at the doors.

"How has your day been so far?" Alice asked with what seemed to be genuine curiosity.

"Fine, but I think Mr. Banner thinks I am a lunatic. I don't understand why the classes are so long!"

"Welcome to the joys of block scheduling. Why would Mr. Banner that?"

"Well, I asked him if we would have to draw the country as part of our final." While we were talking we had been moving through the lunch line and heading to a table.

"Why would you have to do that? It's a history class, not an art class."

"That would probably be because Wyrmie here had to draw the world in her World History class last year." I had been blushing down at my tray from embarrassment when I heard Jasper talking. I whipped around in my seat to find my best friends standing behind me. Rose had motioned to a pair of chairs at the table so I nodded to let her know that she and Jasper were welcome to join us.

"So, Bella how is your day so far?" Rose asked

"Wait, how do you know what Bella had to do in a class last year? She just transferred here, and why did you call her Wyrmie?" Confused was a cute look on Alice.

"Alice, these are my best friends, Rose and Jasper Whitlock. We have been friends since second grade. Wyrmie is my nickname, as in bookworm," I explained.

"Oh, well it's nice to meet you. I'm Alice Cullen. So where are you guys from?"

"We are from everywhere and nowhere," Jasper answered being the smart ass he is.

"What Spalding means is we are military kids so we move around a lot. Our latest move was from North Carolina," I explained before Alice could get any more confused. However, I hadn't realized I used Jasper's nickname so she was bound to be confused anyway.

Taking pity on her, Rose jumped in this time. "Spalding is what Bella calls Jasper because one day he came home from the basketball courts with Spalding imprinted on his forehead. He still won't tell us exactly what happened but it stuck. They don't have a nickname for me, something that I am thankful for everyday." She finished with a smirk.

While Rose was talking I started to get the same feeling of being watched I had gotten at the mall the other day. I tried to look around but there were so many people. I couldn't find any one person looking at me, so I gave up. I had been so caught up in taking in my surroundings that I missed the two new people at the table.

"Bella, hello. Are you still with us?" Alice was snapping her fingers in my face.

"Yeah, sorry I got distracted."

"That's okay. These are my brothers, Emmett and Edward. Guys, this is Bella, Rose, and Jasper. They just transferred in from North Carolina."

I smiled at Emmett and was about to say something when I realized that Edward was the lurker from the bookstore. How many people could have that color hair? Before anyone could say anything else I grabbed my stuff and ran leaving my friends to stare after me in confusion and worry.


	4. Chapter 4

**This is the beta'd version of this chapter. **

**This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. Many thanks to ButterflyBetty and TheOnlyKyla for helping me realize I could and should start writing.**

**Thank you to Masenjar for prereading and EvilPumpkin for her beta skills.**

**All mistakes are mine. **

**I am not Stephanie Myers, I am writing for fun and not being paid. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**The number of people who have added me to their alerts and favorites is amazing. Thank you so much for reading.**

* * *

><p>I knew my friends were worried about me and I probably came off as a total bitch to Alice, but I had to get out of there and find somewhere safe to hide. I could feel the build-up of energy that always accompanied my outbursts. Finally, I found a safe haven: the girl's bathroom. I had just shut the stall door when I lost control of my emotions completely; the toilet bowl water, which hadn't been touched, shot up and hit me in the face. So now I was an emotional wreck and looked like a drowned rat. This was turning out to be a great day. I grabbed some paper towels and did my best to dry off, then spent the rest of lunch hiding. I actually groaned when the bell rang- for the first time I didn't want to go to a class. I wasn't sure if I was avoiding people or the evils of Pre-Calculus at that point though, but I put on my big girl panties and went to class.<p>

The first thing I did when I found the classroom was look around for _him_. Now that I knew I went to school with him I would have to be extra cautious. When I didn't see him I started to breathe a sigh of relief, then I saw his brother. This was not going to be good. The only available desk was right next to him and we still had three minutes before the start of class. I hoped he wouldn't make a big deal out of my hasty exit at lunch. Apparently, the gods were laughing at me.

"Hey, you're Bella right?"

"Yes, and you must be Emmett, nice to meet you."

"Are you okay? You left in a hurry."

"I'm fine, just felt like I was going to be sick is all." It was the first thing I could come up with that sounded true.

"Okay. So how is your first day going? Rose and Jasper told us you are military brats." He was very sweet not to mention my new wet look, because any explanation I could have given would sound insane.

"Yeah, our dads are in the Marine Corps. Until having to come to a math class my day was pretty good." I grimaced as I said the word 'math'.

"I'm taking it you don't like math," he replied with a laugh.

"Nope, math is evil and it must be destroyed." I started to smile as I answered him. It felt good to smile after the toilet bowl incident.

"I guess I can see your point. I will probably end up having to get a tutor or something if this is anything like Algebra 2. Just thinking about it gives me the creeps." Finally, here was someone who understood my viewpoint on it.

"I think my last teacher passed me because of my smile. Math has always been my weakest subject and for me that is hard to admit." I couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to him.

"Well then maybe we should study and suffer together. We could use the library if you want." He seemed so shy, a total turn around from a few seconds ago. Maybe that was why I agreed.

"Sure, those who suffer together get a passing grade together. When do you want to start?" Seriously, who was this person that had taken over my body? I never chose to be with people I barely knew without Jasper or Rose.

"Well, we could start today. Get a jump on it, if you don't have other plans."

"That sounds like a good idea. I will just have to text Jasper to let him know since he is my ride home. I'm sure he won't mind sticking around."

Before he could respond our teacher walked in, so he just nodded to show he understood. The next ninety minutes were filled with different types of mathematical torture. When the bell finally rang Emmett and I arranged to meet in the library in ten minutes. While walking to my locker I pulled out my phone to shoot Jasper a text.

'_Hey, I'm going to study in the library for a bit. Would you mind waiting? –Wyrmie'_

'_That actually works out since I wanted to hit a meeting about the upcoming football season tryouts. –Spalding'_

'_Okay, well just swing by the library when you are done. –Wyrmie'_

'_10-4 rubber duckie –Spalding'_

Rubber duckie, what is he five?

'_What happened at lunch today? –Spalding'_

'_Nothing, I just felt sick. –Wyrmie'_

Please believe me, please believe me.

'_Don't try to sell me that sick line. What the hell happened? –Spalding'_

'_NOTHING so drop it already, please. –Wyrmie'_

'_Fine, but we will talk about it later. –Spalding'_

'_Grr. –Wyrmie'_

'_Don't grr me girl. We have to talk about it and you know it. –Spalding'_

While I had been texting the pain in my ass, I had been walking towards the library. When I got inside I saw that Emmett hadn't arrived yet, so I sat at an empty table and got out my books. When he got there he noticed the scowl on my face.

"Hey, what's up? You don't look very happy."

"Nothing, Spalding is just pissing me off," I said slightly irritated.

"Who's that?" Before I could respond to his question recognition flashed across his face. "Oh, wait- Jasper said that was what you called him. Never mind, why is he pissing you off?"

"He's just bugging me about what happened at lunch and refuses to drop it."

"Oh, that sucks. Are you ready for yet more torture?" He tried to smile when he said it but it came off as more of a grimace.

"Sure, let's get started. The sooner we get started the sooner we can stop." We ended up making a good study pair. The stuff I had trouble with he understood and vise versa. For the next hour we worked and got most of the assignment done. Before he left we traded numbers so that we could get in touch with each other if we ran into any more issues. I decided, since I was still waiting on Jasper, to take a look at the books. They actually had a pretty good selection, which amazed me, since most school libraries don't. I selected two that looked interesting and went to ask the librarian how to check them out. It turned out the library cards were tied into our school IDs. I had just sat back down and started reading when Jasper and Rose walked in.

"Hun, what the hell happened at lunch?" Rose asked with concern all over her face.

"Look, I get that you guys won't let this go, but can we please wait until we leave school? I really don't want to talk about it in the library." I wasn't above begging at this point.

"Fine, but we're leaving now. We have to get this out in the open so we can help you," Jasper replied quickly.

We gathered up my stuff and headed out of the building. I was walking and reading at the same time, which is probably something I shouldn't do, so I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going. I was depending on Rose as usual to make sure I didn't fall, which is why I was surprised that she let me walk straight into a wall. Well, it felt like a wall, but as I knelt down to pick up my stuff I saw shoes and realized I had run into a person after all. They knelt down to help me.

"I am so sorry," I started to apologize without looking up. "I get so caught up reading that I lose track of where I am."

"That's ok, it was partially my fault. I just wanted to make sure you were okay after lunch." I cringed from hearing that voice. When I finally looked up it was into _his_ eyes. "I'm Edward by the way." FUCK, how do I get out of this?


	5. Chapter 5

**This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. Many thanks to ButterflyBetty and TheOnlyKyla for helping me realize I could and should start writing.**

**Thank you to Masenjar for prereading and EvilPumpkin for being an amazing beta.**

**All mistakes are mine.**

**I am not Stephanie Myers, I am writing for fun and not being paid. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**The number of people who have added me to their alerts and favorites is amazing. Thank you so much for reading.**

**I am so sorry for the delay. I got hit with a massive case of writer's block.**

**To all my readers in the US, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.**

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><p><em>Deep <em>_breaths;__just __keep __breathing __Bella.__You __can __handle __this, __just __calmly __introduce __yourself __and __walk __away._ Yeah right, who was I kidding? I couldn't do this. I had to get away.

"Hey, are you ok?" Edward looked at me like I had grown two additional heads.

The way I had just frozen, I couldn't really blame him.

"No, no, I'm okay. My name is Bella, sorry I ran into you."

"It's okay. So what are you reading?" How did he know I was reading? I was confused, and then I remembered that was why I had run into him.

"The Lost Hero, I just got it from the school library." _Can__I__leave__yet?_

"I haven't heard of it. Uh- I hope you enjoy it."

"Thanks – yeah- have to go. Bye." I took my books and ran towards the car. When I got there I just shook my head at Rose and Jasper indicating that we could talk about it later. Luckily, they accepted it and drove off. When we got back to my house the questions started.

"Wyrmie," Jasper rounded on me once we got to the living room. "What happened at lunch?"

"I told you, Spalding, I wasn't feeling well." I wished he'd just accept this and move on.

"Bullshit, I told you after school we would talk about it when we got home. Well, now we are home, so what happened?" Jasper was starting to get pissed off now.

"It was nothing; I thought I saw the lurker from the mall. It got me all worked up so I ran. I made it to the ladies' room, locked myself in a stall, and had the toilet explode on me."

"Wait a damn minute, "Rose began, "What do you mean the toilet exploded on you? I'm pretty sure we would have heard about a toilet being in pieces."

"I'm not really sure how to explain it. I had just locked myself in the stall when the water came out of the toilet bowl and landed all over me." I was still relatively shocked by that.

"So, let me make sure I heard you correctly. The toilet water came up and spurted all over you. Was it all the water in the toilet?" Jasper sounded extremely surprised.

"Yes, it was all the water. I had nothing to change into, I'm just glad I wasn't in white."

"Was it clean water?" Leave it to Rose to ask that question.

"Do I look like I got covered in piss and shit?"

"Okay, who do you think the lurker was? I mean there were a lot of people in that cafeteria."

"I think it was Edward Cullen. I recognized his hair. Then I literally ran into him as we were leaving."

"You ran into him?" Jasper sounded so confused.

"Yeah, I was reading while walking and then I wasn't. He was a good sport about it and all, it was just unnerving. I was my usual spastic self and left him in a hurry."

"Well, we can't really do anything until we know if he was the lurker or not. Just be careful around him, it is a safe bet that since he is Alice and Emmett's brother he will be around a lot." Rose cautioned.

"Don't worry, I won't be heading down any dark alleyways with him. So, other than the lunch time drama how was your day? Am I the only one going crazy with this schedule?"

We started talking about what else happened that day. Rose and Jasper were as surprised as I was that I hadn't been a shy bumbling mess around Emmett. Maybe, just maybe this move to Jacksonville had been a good thing. Then again, anything that brought me out of my shell was a good thing. Right?

**JPOV**

Ever since I can remember I'd been protective of Bella. When all the weird things started happening around her it became even worse. When Rose and I had to leave her a few years ago I had been beyond worried that she wouldn't be able to cope. I guess when you had a group of friends as close as we are that was to be expected. This move was supposed to be a new start for all of us, but now I wasn't so sure.

"Rose, do you think we should be worried?" I asked once we had gotten home.

"Worried about what? The fact that our best friend seems to have a crazy stalker and has toilets exploding on her because of it? Of course we should be worried, numb-nuts."

"Yes, when you put it that way. But what I meant was it seems like her 'abilities' are getting more powerful and we don't know anything about them. When you factor in our weird things it can be dangerous."

"True, maybe the three of us should hit the library and see if we can find anything on paranormal events like this. I can't believe I just suggested going to the library of my own free will. Tell Bella and I will castrate you with a spoon, understand?"

What was it with women always threatening to castrate men when they were pissed? "Fine, I won't tell Bella but we should go this weekend. I guess we should start looking for one. Wait, who am I kidding, Bella has probably already found three in our area."

"We will talk to her about it in the morning. I'm going to bed. Night, Jasper."

"Good night, Rose."

After Rose went to bed I ended up lying awake with all my thoughts running circles in my head. Was Edward the lurker? Why would he be following Bella? Would our abilities continue to grow? Would we become dangerous to our surroundings? I had so many questions and almost no answers. I just hoped we could find something in the library. Maybe Bella had some books on it; knowing her she had been researching it for a few years.

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><p><strong>Cookies and pie to the reader who knows the book series mentioned in this chapter.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

I'm so sorry for being MIA for so long. I developed a wicked case of writer's block. Hope you enjoy it.

Thank you to Masenjar for prereading.

A special shout out to fallgoddess16 and LunarEclispe24 for all their input on this chapter. They truly helped me get over my writers block.

All mistakes are mine.

I am not Stephanie Myers, I am writing for fun and not being paid. No copyright infringement is intended.

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><p>That night after Rose and Jasper left I was haunted by my thoughts. The fact that my abilities seemed to be growing was making me very nervous. What if the next time they went all wonky I wasn't alone and someone got hurt? I don't think I could handle knowing that I had hurt someone, even if it was an accident. Should I really be worried that Edward reminds me of the person I saw at the mall? After letting my thoughts circle for what seemed like hours I finally fell asleep, although later I would wonder if that was such a good thing.<p>

~TR~TR~

Are those birds? I don't remember opening my window so why am I hearing birds?

I opened my eyes to make sure the window was indeed closed and saw stars where I should've seen my ceiling. Why am I outside? How did I get here?

"Please don't be afraid."

Turning around so fast I thought I would give myself whip lash I tried to locate the voice.

"You're safe here. I could never hurt you."

"Who are you? How did I get here?"

"I'll explain everything, just please try to calm down." This mystery voice was getting annoying already. How the hell was I supposed to calm down when I didn't know where I was or how I got here? Before panic fully took over the mystery voice, that was oddly soothing, spoke again. "Bella, it's me, Edward. We don't have much time. Please just listen. Something is happening and I'm not entirely sure what, but what I do know is that somehow you and your friends are involved. You have to trust me."

"Why in the world should I trust you? I don't know you for starters and you kidnapped me!" Looks like I had my answer on if I should be worried about Edward or not.

"Technically I didn't kidnap you, but that is a story for another night. You have a gift that you don't understand. You're not alone; I know what it's like. I can help you if you'll let me. Just please, try to calm down."

"How do you know about my ability? I haven't told anyone other than Rose and Jasper."

"I have a gift much like yours. I started moving things in my sleep and now I can astral project both awake and asleep, which is what I've done tonight with both of us. I can help you control it, just please trust me."

This was just too much for me to take in. None of this made sense. How could he possibly know anything about me? I need to talk to Rose and Jasper before I make any decisions.

"Look, I'm not sure how you know about all of this. I do know that I want to have control over my ability because I am scared of hurting someone. I just need time to think it all over and make sure I'm doing the right thing. Please send me home."

"Take your time thinking, just please don't be afraid of me."

~TR~TR~

**JPOV**

Where is that breeze coming from? Is the fan on?

I opened my eyes to see if my window was open and saw that I was outside. "Rosalie Lillian, this isn't funny!"

"Why are you trying to blame this on me?" Rose said snarkily. "I have nothing to do with this."

"Well, it wasn't me so what the hell is going on?" I know I shouldn't be getting upset with Rose but I'm running low on patience this week.

"Please, stop arguing with each other. I brought you here. I have to speak with the both of you and felt this was the best way."

Are you kidding me? This asshat was stalking Bella at the mall, then got her so frustrated the toilet exploded on her.

"Why should we listen to a word you say? You brought us to this field in the middle of the night. We don't know how and you expect us to listen to you?" Rose answered. Looks like I'm not the only one getting pissed off.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I just wanted to let you know about the conversation I had with Bella, this way you can help her figure out what to do."

Wait, when did he talk with Bella? She didn't tell us about a conversation with him. Did he pull this stunt with her as well?

"Fine, we'll give you five minutes to explain yourself and then send us home."

"Fair enough. Much like the two of you and Bella, I have a special talent let's say. I can astral project, which is how you can see me. This is a dream that I'm controlling. I've had this talent since I was little, it started with me moving things while I slept. Here is what I know, something big is coming. I'm not sure how we're involved, just that we are."

How does he know about our talents? Has he been stalking more than just Bella?

"So, what do you expect us to do about it?" I was happy that I didn't have as much venom in my voice this time.

"Talk it over with Bella. Try to convince her that we need to work together on our abilities."

"We'll talk to her, but make no promises about working with you. Now, send us home."

I woke with a start and ran straight to my sister's room to see if any of what just happened was real. She was sitting on her bed looking just as confused as I felt.

"That was real right?" Rose asked wearily.

Before I could answer my sister I felt our guest before I saw her.

"You guys will never believe what just happened to me."


End file.
